A bittersweet farewell on the last day of school at Fox Ridge Elementary in St. Charles

Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News

Fifth-grade students are cheered June 5, 2018 by younger students at Fox Ridge Elementary School in St. Charles on the last day for Fox Ridge as an elementary school.

Fifth-grade students are cheered June 5, 2018 by younger students at Fox Ridge Elementary School in St. Charles on the last day for Fox Ridge as an elementary school. (Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News)

Kelly Rotella watched her fifth-grade child walk out of Fox Ridge Elementary School in St. Charles one last time Tuesday, the last day of elementary school for fifth-graders and the last day the building itself would be an elementary school.

In the fall, Rotella’s son will be in middle school and her other two children, one in kindergarten and the other starting fourth grade, will be at a different school building.

“My youngest will never get to graduate from the school where his oldest brother went to,” Rotella said.

The last day of school at Fox Ridge was bittersweet for some parents, staff and students, while others — including some of the fifth-graders who were “clapped out” by younger classmates — also found reason to celebrate.

Rotella said she was proud of her children and their teachers, who were able to keep calm while Fox Ridge’s fate remained undecided and then came together after the decision to close was made.

“As soon as the (March) vote happened, everyone stepped up,” said Rotella, who served as treasurer for the school’s parent-teacher organization. She estimated the number of volunteers at the school tripled.

Meaghan Bishop, parent of three current and former Fox Ridge students, said she was “broken-hearted” on the school’s final day. She said she believed many teachers were sad as well but maintained their composure for the benefit of parents and children.

“They were always in good shape (emotionally) for the kids, but I don’t know if they were in good shape when they were not with the kids,” Bishop said.

“Since the decision was made (this winter), it was all about how do we keep the classrooms, the students feeling normal,” Fox Ridge Principal Amy Stuckey said.

Stuckey will become principal of Bell-Graham Elementary School in the fall. She said she hopes to one day be as familiar with the Bell-Graham community as she was with Fox Ridge in her four years at the school.

“I know everybody here, that’s the hardest part” of leaving, she said as parents, students and staff came up to up to hug her and wish her well

Parent Pasquale Naccarata said he still found it “shocking” the school board proceeded with closing the school.

“I think the district made a poor decision,” said Naccarate, the father of two. “Even though we are moving (to Arizona), it made it hard to know we couldn’t come back if we wanted to.”

Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News

Fifth-grade students get "clapped out" of school by the younger students on the last day of school at Fox Ridge Elementary in St. Charles. Tuesday marked the last day of elementary school for fifth-graders and the last day for Fox Ridge as an elementary school.

Fifth-grade students get "clapped out" of school by the younger students on the last day of school at Fox Ridge Elementary in St. Charles. Tuesday marked the last day of elementary school for fifth-graders and the last day for Fox Ridge as an elementary school. (Rafael Guerrero / The Courier-News)